My Patronus is a Chow Dog. While I didn’t specifically envision a Chow Chow (I’m a Shitzu owner), I always knew my Patronus would be a pup of some sort. As a proud Hufflepuff, I deeply value loyalty and dogs are known for that trait. I just didn’t realize how loyal the Chow was!

The Chow Dog

Here’s a general character run-down of the typical Chow: proud, independent, highly suspicious of strangers, but fiercely loyal to the right person, strong loyal bonds to family but specifically attached to one or two people. Not excessively active (yep, that’d be me), quiet and well behaved while also being resistant to training, at adolescence they reject authority from those who didn’t earn their respect as a puppy.

While I’m definitely not saying these are all good characteristics, I think they generally describe me well, flaws and all.

Pride & Loyalty

One of my major flaws is the tendency to be prideful. I think that’s why, when I prayed for one word to work on for the year, I feel as though God put “humility” on my heart. Like Love, being Humble is not natural and requires daily and moment-by-moment choices to set self-down and raise others up. What can I say, I’m a work in progress. But I do recognize that I don’t want to be proud.

When pride comes, then comes disgrace, but with the humble is wisdom. ~ Proverbs 11:2ESV

Don’t be selfish; don’t try to impress others. Be humble, thinking of others as better than yourselves. Don’t look out only for your own interests, but take an interest in others, too. You must have the same attitude that Christ Jesus had. ~ Philippians 2:3-5 NLT

However, there is one quality in me that, while not perfected, I do think is good and strong. I have grown into an extremely loyal person. The thing about loyalty is that you can’t be loyal to everyone and everything because then you won’t truly be loyal to anyone or anything. Loyalty, like Love, is a choice. The Bible says you can’t both Love God and this world, they are opposed to each other. I can’t be loyal to both my husband and another man, loyalty doesn’t work that way.

And, I believe, God asks us to choose to Love him and to be Loyal to Him and His Ways. That’s a choice I made years ago and have to keep making each day, just like my choice to live in Love rather than in Hate. Hate feels easier and comes more naturally, but Love is a choice to stick to the hard, right path. To respect and care for those who are my friends and my enemies. To not pay back evil with evil, but to pay back evil with good.

For I desire and delight in [steadfast] loyalty [faithfulness in the covenant relationship], rather than sacrifice, And in the knowledge of God more than burnt offerings. ~ Hosea 6:6 AMP